sbishop@desire.wright.edu (04/12/90)
I was fortunate enough to be at a lecture by Carolyn Hillman (sorry I may have mangled her name) who is the spokeswoman for the Cincinnati Zoo. She raised Angel the cheetah who is the zoo mascot. She said that cheetahs are reproducing poorly in captivity and may well be extinct within twenty years. One major problem seems to be a very low sperm count probably due to the genetic simularity of the animals in the breed. Research is being done but so far there doesn't seem to be a solution. I was able to see Angel at extremely close range and am very saddened that this gorgeous animal is yet another victim of the loss of habitat and ecological support systems to farming and grazing. BTW, Carolyn is a really nice person. She travels all over the world with Angel.